Electric trolley device



(No Model.)

A. B. DU PONT. ELEGTRIG TROLLEY DEVICE.

No. 590,689. Patented Sept. 28,1897.

. UNITED STATES PATENT Prion.

ANTOINE BIDERMANN DU PONT, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO v THE STEELMOTOR COMPANY, OF J OHNSTO'WN PENNSYLVANIA.

ELECTRIC TROLLEY D EVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersPatent No. 590,589, dated September28, 1897,

Application filed January 15, 1897. Serial No. 619,384. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANTOINE BIDERMANN DU PONT, of Detroit, in the countyof YVayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Electric Trolley Devices, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to electric trolley devices of the class used uponrailway-cars to make contact with a suspended conductor. Moreparticularly it relates to that type of trolley device which carries acontact-maker adapted to slide upon a shaft transverse to the car, sothat the contact-maker may adjust itself to all changes in the lateralposition of the conductor without losing contact or changing itsrelative position therewith, thus reducing the wear upon both theconductor and the contact-maker to the minimum.

The objects of my invention are the provision of means for preventingany accidental contact between the shaft upon which the contact-makerslides and the conductor and for removing any danger of thecontact-maker or other parts of e the device becoming entangled in theconductor-switches or other overhead construction and the provision of acontact-making carriage of such improved construction and combination ofparts that it may be adapted to move along the transverse shaft with theleast possible friction and have a rotary movement thereon.

To these ends my invention consists in the novel construction andcombination of parts, as hereinafter described and claimed.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a top and Fig. 2 a side view ofmy inventi'on'as it appears when mounted on the end of an ordinarytrolley-pole. Fig. 3 is an enlarged end view of the transversely-movablecarriage, and Fig. 4 is an enlarged side view of the same.

The transverse rod or tube A is mounted between the ron s B B whichareseoured' is another transverse rod or tube carried between the prongsB B and also secured to the free end of the pole D. E, as shown clearlyin Fig. 2, is located'at a slightly-higher altitude than A. V

F is a carriage carrying the contact-wheel 1, rotatable about the tube2, which encircles A and is held in position between the sides of theframe 3 by the removable plates 4, as clearly shown. Supporting thecarriage upon shaft A are the grooved rollers 5 5, which are alsomounted between the sides of the frame 3, one on each side of thecontact-wheel and at right angles therewith.

The carriage F is free to adjust itself to the different lateralpositions in which the conductor may be suspended. If the contactwheelshould leave the conductor, the latter would rest upon the guard-rod E,preventing any blistering of the shaft A. This blistering would occur ifthe conductor should come in contact with said shaft and would tend toprevent the free transverse movement of the carriage F.

As the carriage is free to turn on its axis, it will be seen byreference to Fig. 2 that there is no danger of its becoming entangledwith frogs or other portions of the overhead construction, for theguard-rodA is located at such an altitude relative to that of thecarriage as to cause any portion of the overhead c011- struction toengage the said carriage above the latters axis, thus allowingit to turnabout said axis sufliciently to prevent any entanglement.

I do not limit myself to the exact details herein shown and described,nor to the use of my invention upon the free end of a pole, for it maybe used on many of the other upward-pressure devices known to the art.

What I claim, and'desire to protect by Let ters Patent, is j 1. In anelectric trolley device, the combination with a transverse shaft and acontactwheel surrounding said shaft, of a carriage carrying thecontact-Wheel, adapted to move along said shaft, and adapted to turnpartially about said shaft.

2. A eontaet'making carriage for electric trolley devices comprising,the combination of a tubular bearing, a contact-wheel n1ounted thereon,sides secured to the said bearings, and rollers secured between thesides.

3. In an electric trolley device, the combination with a shaft carriedin proximity to the conductor of a contact-wheel and a carriag'e restingupon said shaft in a position of stable equilibrium and supporting thewheel IO about the said shaft.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

ANTOINE BIDERMANN DU lOAT.

v Vi-messes:

O. B. KING, GEO. (I. XVALDO.

